An Environmental Protection Department (EPD) spokesman said that the department received a complaint from a resident living near Shantung Street in Mong Kok early this year about the cosmetics store concerned persistently playing songs until night, which affected the daily lives of the nearby residents. EPD enforcement officers conducted investigation and assessment and confirmed that the staff of the cosmetics store played songs inside the premises using loudspeakers, which caused noise annoyance to nearby residents. A noise abatement notice was therefore issued to request improvement. EPD enforcement officers then made a follow-up investigation in June and found that the store was still playing songs after 11pm. The sound could be clearly heard inside a flat nearby, which adversely affected the daily lives of the residents. The department then initiated prosecution against the responsible person of the store concerned.

The spokesman reminded all retail shop operators that when they play music or songs inside the shop premises, they should keep the noise down and should not cause annoyance to nearby residents. Otherwise, it constitutes an offence.

According to the NCO, anyone who violates the requirements of a noise abatement notice commits an offence. First-time offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $100,000. A maximum fine of $200,000 may be imposed on second or subsequent conviction.